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ANNUAL  REPORT 

OF  THE 

District  Nurse  Committee 

OF  THE 

Women’s  Friend  Society 

of  Salem 

FOR  THE  YEAR 

1908 

VAi  UBM  OF  THE 

APR  22  1926 
UNIVERSITY  OF  SUmOIS 


The  committee  in  charge  of  the  work  of  the  District  Nurse  pre- 
sents its  annual  report  and  the  volunteer  collectors  are  now  soliciting 
the  yearly  subscriptions  which  enable  the  work  to  be  carried  on.  W e 
know  that  there  are  many  calls  upon  the  charitably  disposed  people 
of  Salem,  but  it  must  be  urged  that  the  work  of  the  district  nurse  has 
proved  practicably  indispensible  in  this  community,  while  its  scope  is 
so  far  reaching  that  it  cannot  fail  to  appeal  to  everyone. 

It  may  be  of  interest  here  to  give  in  outline  the  work  of  the  nurse'” 
for  a single  day. 

At  8 A.  M.  she  starts  on  her  rounds  of  duty,  going  to  the  Bu- 
reau, 1 2 Elm  Street,  for  messages  and  supplies,  stopping  on  the  way 
to  dress  a bad  accident  case,  then  to  an  urgent  call  on  Tremont  Street, 
near  the  Peabody  line,  and  then  to  keep  an  appointment  at  9.30  to 
assist  at  an  operation  on  Pingree  Street  near  the  Naumkeag  Mills  ; 
after  that  to  Phelps  Street  for  half  an  hour  and,  before  lunch,  a pa- 
tient on  Summer  Street  must  be  bathed  and  made  comfortable.  The 
afternoon  calls  cover  cases  on  Bridge  Street,  Highland  Avenue,  Derby 
and  Boston  Streets.  Frequently  the  nurse  must  go  twice  over  the 
same  ground,  when  messages  come  in  after  the  morning  hours.  This 
itinerary  will  give  a very  good  idea  of  the  regular  work  of  the  nurse. 

A permanent  “ District  Nurse  Fund,”  placed  in  the  hands  of 
the  chartered  “ Women’s  Friend  Society”  is  very  much  desired  and  a 
start  for  this  end  has  already  been  made.  Such  a fund,  ultimately, 
should  not  be  less  than  $23,000,  in  order  to  insure  the  best  results, 
and,  even  then,  with  the  growth  of  the  city  and  the  increasing  de- 
mands from  the  sick  and  injured,  an  annual  subscription  list  quite 
likely  will  still  be  required  to  augment  the  income.  The  committee 
asks — can  you  not,  this  year,  give  something  to  the  fund  in  addition  to 
your  annual  subscription  ? 

Many  of  the  patients  are  absolutely  without  the  thousand  and 
*>ne  things  needed  in  time  of  sickness  or  in  case  of  accident.  For  such 
occasions  supplies  of  all  sorts  are  kept  at  the  Bureau,  which  are  given 
or  lent  to  the  patients,  as  circumstances  demand.  This  so-called  “ loan 


closet  ” is  replenished  through  the  kindness  of  friends  and  suitable  con- 
tributions are  always  welcome;  just  at  present,  old  linen  is  much  needed. 
To  those  who  have  given  supplies  this  year,  the  committee  extends  its 
thanks. 


ELIZABETH  R.  ROBINSON,  Chairman  of  Committee. 


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CD 


Report  of  the  nurse: — 

Total  number  of  calls  made,  1547 

Number  of  patients  regularly  attended,  92 

Medical  cases,  46 

Surgical  cases,  27 

Obstetrical  cases,  1 9 


L.  MAUDE  BOWIE,  District  Nurse. 


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COMMITTEE. 


MRS.  WILLIAM  O.  CHAPMAN 
MRS.  EDWARD  L.  PIERSON 
MRS.  JULIAN  D’ESTE 
MISS  S.  E.  CHAMBERLAIN 


MRS.  ARTHUR  W.  WEST 
MRS.  GEORGE  H.  SHATTUCK 
MISS  EDITH  RANTOUL 
MRS.  JOHN  ROBINSON,  Chairman 


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